Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (British Columbia)

Last updated

Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
Ministry overview
Formed2017;6 years ago (2017)
Type Ministry responsible for coordinating environmental policies and programs
Jurisdiction British Columbia
Headquarters525 Superior Street
Victoria, British Columbia
V8V 1T7
48°25′04″N123°22′17″W / 48.41778°N 123.37139°W / 48.41778; -123.37139
Minister responsible
Deputy Minister responsible
  • Kevin Jardine
Parent Ministry Executive Council of British Columbia
Website gov.bc.ca/env

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy is a ministry of the government of British Columbia in Canada. The ministry is responsible for the effective protection, management and conservation of the province's natural resources. [1] It is currently overseen by George Heyman. [2]

Contents

History

Map of British Columbia prepared by the Department of Lands and Works in 1884 Britishcolombia 1884.jpg
Map of British Columbia prepared by the Department of Lands and Works in 1884

Department of Lands and Works (1871-1908)

The "Department of Lands and Works" was established under the Constitution Act in 1871 following the admission of the Colony of British Columbia to the Dominion of Canada. The department was responsible for the management of Crown lands, surveying and mapping of Crown lands, construction and maintenance of public services, and encouragement of European settlement. [3]

Department of Lands (1908-1945)

In 1908, the department was disestablished with an amendment to the Constitution Act and its functions were divided between the newly formed "Department of Lands" and "Department of Public Works", of which the former is the ancestor to the current ministry. The Department of Lands was responsible for the management of Crown lands, surveying and mapping of Crown lands, timber inspection, forest protection, and water rights management with respect to mining operations. [4]

The Department of Lands was notable for overseeing the founding of British Columbia's first provincial park, Strathcona Provincial Park, in 1911. [5]

Department of Lands, Forests, and Water Resources (1945-1974)

In 1945, the "Department of Lands" was re-established as the "Department of Lands and Forests". It was responsible for the management of all public lands, administration of water rights, and land settlement programs for returning soldiers. The department was renamed the "Department of Lands, Forests, and Water Resources" in 1962 following its reorganization into its three namesake branches: the B.C. Lands Service, B.C. Forest Service, and B.C. Water Resources Service. It retained the same responsibilities as its predecessor until the disestablishment of the department in 1975. [6]

Ministry of Environment (1975-2017)

In 1975, the "Ministry of Environment" was established by an order in council under its first name: "Department of Environment". The original functions of the Department of Environment were transferred from the "Department of Lands, Forests and Water Resources", whose functions had been split between the "Ministry of Environment" and "Ministry of Forests". The department was responsible for the management and protection of land, air and water resources including Crown lands (except for matters under the jurisdiction of the Department of Forests), water rights, and pollution control. The department was divided into three branches: land and water management, environmental and engineering services, and environmental protection. Later in 1976, the Dept. of Environment was renamed the "Ministry of the Environment". [7]

In 1978, a major government reorganization transferred functions relating to lands and parks from the "Ministry of the Environment" to the newly established "Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing". At the same time, the "Ministry of the Environment" gained functions relating to marine resources and wildlife (from the former Ministry of Recreation and Conservation), environmental health (from the Ministry of Health), and emergency programming (from the Ministry of Provincial Secretary and Travel Industry). The reorganized "Ministry of the Environment" was divided into four branches: Land and Water Management, Environmental and Engineering Services, Environmental Protection, and Environment and Land Use Secretariat. The name was revised as just the "Ministry of Environment" the following year. [7]

In 1986, the parks function from the "Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing", was merged with the Ministry of Environment. As a result of this addition to its functions, the Ministry of Environment became known as the "Ministry of Environment and Parks". In 1988, the park function was removed and transferred to the newly established "Ministry of Parks". As a result, the name was reverted to the Ministry of Environment. [7]

In 1991, the Ministry of Environment was disestablished and its functions were merged with those of the "Ministry of Lands and Parks" to create a new ministry called the "Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks". [7] The successor to this ministry was the "Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection", existing from 2001 to 2005. The successor to this was the "Ministry of Environment", existing from 2005 to 2016. Throughout all of these successive name changes and restructurings, the ministry had retained the same functional responsibilities since 1991. [8]

Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy (2017-Today)

Following the 2017 British Columbia general election, the ministry was renamed the "Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy" with an emphasis on directly addressing the issue of climate change in the province. [9]

Operating units

BC Parks signage in Wrinkly Face Provincial Park Southern Boundary Signs for Wrinkly Face Provincial Park.jpg
BC Parks signage in Wrinkly Face Provincial Park

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy manages several secondary agencies:

Legislation

CleanBC

In December 2018, Premier John Horgan's NDP party and Andrew Weaver's Green party jointly announced CleanBC, a plan that would reach 75% of the province's greenhouse gas emissions target. The plan is designed to reduce emissions 40% by the year 2030, compared to 2007 levels. [12] Most of the plan's funding is projected to come from BC's carbon tax. [13] For buildings, the BC Building Code was amended to make all buildings “net zero energy ready” by 2032, the natural gas grid must contain 15% RNG and the province will assist in funding efficiency upgrades. For industry, the government agreed to help fund clean energy firms while improving the efficiency of existing manufacturing and fossil fuel operations. For transportation, all new cars sold from 2040 onward must be a zero-emissions vehicle, with other vehicle types being subject to stricter emissions regulation. For waste, the goals outlined in the plan are to divert 95% of biodegradable waste from landfills and capture 75% of landfill emissions.

Water Sustainability Act

The Water Sustainability Act (WSA) was enacted on February 29, 2016 to ensure and manage the sustainable supply, diversion, and use of water in BC. [14] It includes changes on:

Recycling Regulation

In 2011, the British Columbia announced plans to transfer the cost of recycling for packaging and printed paper from municipal governments to product manufactures. The non-for-profit Recycle BC began operations on May 11, 2014, to fulfill the collection and recycling of these goods on behalf of these companies.

As of December 2018, British Columbia had 17 extended producer responsibility categories. [15]

Fish farming

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Vancouver Regional District</span> Regional district in British Columbia, Canada

The Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), or simply Metro Vancouver, is a Canadian political subdivision and corporate entity representing the metropolitan area of Greater Vancouver, designated by provincial legislation as one of the 28 regional districts in British Columbia. The organization was known as the Regional District of Fraser–Burrard for nearly one year upon incorporating in 1967, and as the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) from 1968 to 2017.

Environment and Climate Change Canada is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for coordinating environmental policies and programs, as well as preserving and enhancing the natural environment and renewable resources. It is also colloquially known by its former name, Environment Canada.

The Australian Department of the Environment was a department of the Government of Australia that existed between September 2013 and July 2016. The department was charged with responsibility for developing and implementing national policy, programs and legislation to protect and conserve Australia's environment and heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Provincial Park and Protected Area</span> Provincial park in British Columbia, Canada

Cathedral Provincial Park and Protected Area, usually known as Cathedral Provincial Park and also as Cathedral Park, is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is located east of E.C. Manning Provincial Park, south of BC Highway 3, and southeast of the town of Princeton, and southwest of Keremeos. Its southern boundary is the border with the United States. Much of the park is the basin of the Ashnola River. Cathedral Park is home to teal sub-alpine lakes, vast ridges and jarred peaks, old-growth forests, and rock formations of siltstone, granodiorite, and basalt. Hikers can scramble along various peaks such as the 8000-foot Grimface Mountain and Lakeview Mountain. Tourists flock to Smokey the Bear and Stone City because of their unique formations with incredible views formed by millennia of erosion, volcanic and tectonic activity, and glacial recession.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BC Parks</span> Government agency that manages the British Columbia Parks and Protected Areas System

BC Parks is an agency of the British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy that manages all of the, as of 2020, 1,035 provincial parks and other conservation and historical properties of various title designations within the province's Parks oversaw of the British Columbia Parks and Protected Areas System. The Lieutenant Governor-in-Council created the agency on March 1, 1911, through the Strathcona Park Act. The agency is charged with a dual role of preserving the ecological and historical integrity of the places entrusted to its management, while also making them available and accessible for public use and enjoyment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservation officer</span> Law enforcement officers responsible for protecting wildlife

A conservation officer is a law enforcement officer who protects wildlife and the environment. A conservation officer may also be referred to as an environmental technician/technologist, game warden, park ranger, forest watcher, forest guard, forester, gamekeeper, investigator, wildernessofficer, wildlifeofficer, or wildlife trooper.

Manitoba Environment and Climate Change is a department of the Government of Manitoba that is responsible for the management and protection of Manitoba's wildlife, water, species at risk, forestry, and other matters related to environmental stewardship and Manitoba's biodiversity of natural resources.

David Williams Higgins was a Canadian newspaperman, politician, and author.

Hatzic Island is an island located in the centre of Hatzic Lake, an oxbow lake formation north of the Fraser River, on the east side of Mission, British Columbia, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in British Columbia, Canada

South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located on Highway 40 northwest of Lillooet, British Columbia. The park, which is 56,796 ha. in size, was established on April 18, 2001, and It was created out of a portion of the Spruce Lake Protected Area. The park is located on three Indigenous Nations: The Tsilhqot’in, St’at’imc, and Secwepemc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deforestation in British Columbia</span>

Deforestation in British Columbia has resulted in a net loss of 1.06 million hectares of tree cover between the years 2000 and 2020. More traditional losses have been exacerbated by increased threats from climate change driven fires, increased human activity, and invasive species. The introduction of sustainable forestry efforts such as the Zero Net Deforestation Act seeks to reduce the rate of forest cover loss. In British Columbia, forests cover over 55 million hectares, which is 57.9% of British Columbia's 95 million hectares of land. The forests are mainly composed of coniferous trees, such as pines, spruces and firs.

The Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas of Alberta is the Alberta provincial ministry of the Executive Council of Alberta responsible for environmental issues and policy as well as some, but not all, parks and protected areas in Alberta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qualicum National Wildlife Area</span> National Wildlife Area on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada

The Qualicum National Wildlife Area (NWA) was officially established in 1977, under the Canada Wildlife Act (1973). The primary objective of the Qualicum NWA was to conserve crucial habitats for migratory birds and various other species.

The Honourable Ronald Ian Cheffins is a professor emeritus of political science and law and the University of Victoria. He was the first lawyer to be appointed directly to the British Columbia court of appeal in 1985. He held the seat until resigning 2 years later in 1987 to return to legal and scholarly practice after finding judicial work too "uncongenial". In 1991 he served as the Vice-chair on the Law Reform Commission of British Columbia. He is an expert on the Canadian Constitution and has advised five past lieutenants-governor. He is a weekly Friday guest on CFAX 1070's Adam Stirling show, where he discusses both local and world politics.

Pemberton Holmes Real Estate is a Canadian real-estate company located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is considered one of the oldest family-owned real estate companies in North America; in continuous operation since 1887. The company was founded by Frederick B. Pemberton, a son of Joseph Despard Pemberton, who was responsible for the land surveying of the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hatzic Valley</span>

The Hatzic Valley is the southerly, lowland portion of the Fraser Valley Regional District Electoral Area "F" of British Columbia's Lower Mainland. The valley was carved as a result of southward glacial action, being "centered along a low‐lying glacial trough that extends from Stave Lake to the Fraser Valley."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Lake Grasslands Protected Area</span> Protected area in British Columbia

White Lake Grasslands Protected Area is a conservation site located in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen of British Columbia, Canada. It was established on April 18, 2001 by order-in-council under the Environment and Land Use Act to protect the semi-arid grassland and pine forest ecosystem west of Vaseux Lake. The region spans from shoreline to mountain top, providing essential living areas for various red and blue-listed species, plants, and plant groups in British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wetlands and wetland policies in Canada</span>

Canadian wetlands account for approximately one quarter of the world's total wetlands and is ranked with the highest surface area of wetlands on the Ramsar Conventions List of Wetlands of International Importance. Canada holds 37 designated areas of International Importance which equates to approximately 13,086,767 hectares of land.

References

  1. ↑ "2018/19 - 2020/21 Service Plan" (PDF). Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the Environmental Assessment Office. Government of British Columbia. February 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  2. ↑ Shaw, Rob (18 July 2017). "B.C. NDP Cabinet 2017: Metro Vancouver MLAs handed key cabinet roles". Vancouver Sun . Postmedia Network . Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  3. ↑ "British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works - RBCM Archives". search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "British Columbia. Dept. of Lands - RBCM Archives". search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  5. ↑ Environment, Ministry of. "Strathcona Provincial Park - BC Parks". bcparks.ca. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "British Columbia. Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources - RBCM Archives". search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "British Columbia. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks - RBCM Archives". search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "British Columbia. Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection - RBCM Archives". search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  9. ↑ "Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy - Province of British Columbia". 23 July 2017. Archived from the original on 23 July 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  10. ↑ "BC Government Directory, ENV - Climate Action Secretariat". dir.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  11. ↑ "Climate Change". www2.gov.bc.ca. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  12. ↑ "BC Government releases Climate Plan". The Nelson Daily. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  13. ↑ Hennig, Clare (6 December 2018). "'You eat it or you pass it on to your consumer:' business expert questions cost of B.C.'s new climate plan". CBC News . Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  14. 1 2 "Water Sustainability Act". British Columbia. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "Who We Are". BC Recycles . Retrieved 29 December 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.